According to the campaign finance watchdog, opensecrets.org, $6.5 billion was spent during the 2016 presidential and congressional campaigns. With that money, every teacher in the United States could get a $2,000 raise.

Ironically, the amount of money spent is in sharp contrast with how much we like our candidates. Congressional candidates spent $4 billion in 2016 and yet less than a quarter of the population thinks they are doing their jobs, according to Gallup.

But the greater danger is corruption and control of elected officials by the rich. Is anyone naive enough to think that when a large corporation donates several million dollars to a candidate that there will not be anything requested in return? When big coal and oil give unrestricted quantities of money to candidates, it is clear how that candidate will vote concerning anything to do with climate change issues.

What should be done? The disastrous Citizens United decision needs to be overturned. All donations need to be public.

Campaign spending also needs to be limited. Maybe if our politicians spent less money for their campaigns, we would like them more.

If nothing is changed, it is almost certain that well over $6.5 billion will be spent in 2020. 

Robert J. Perry

Mystic